Okay, so, I’ve got a bunch of chickens, right? And let me tell you, keeping those birds entertained is a real job. At first, I just threw them some feed, figured they’d be happy. Nope. They started pecking at each other, getting all stressed out, and just generally being a feathery pain in the butt.
So, I started doing some digging, trying to figure out what to do. I mean, a bored chicken is a naughty chicken, and I didn’t want that.
Trial and Error
First, I tried hanging up some old CDs. The idea was that they’d see the shiny reflections and get distracted. This sort of worked. They were interested for like, five minutes, then went back to being bored. I had to think something outside of the box.
Next up, I built them a little swing. Super simple, just a branch and some rope. This was a fail. They looked at it, looked at me, and walked away. I guess chickens aren’t into swinging, I don’t know.
Then I got this idea to make them a dust bath. I found a shallow container, filled it with some sand and dirt, and boom, instant chicken spa. This was a winner! They loved it. They’d roll around in there, fluffing up their feathers, having a grand old time. It kept them busy, and they seemed way more chill after a good dust bath.
More Enrichment
- Veggie piñatas: I started hanging up heads of lettuce or cabbage. They get to peck at it, get a snack, and it takes them a while to finish. Keeps ’em occupied.
- Mirror, mirror: I put a mirror in their run. Now, this one is hit or miss. Some chickens will stare at their reflection all day, some don’t care. It was a funny experiment, anyway.
- New roosting spots: I added some different levels of roosting bars in their coop. They seem to enjoy hopping up and down, figuring out where they want to sleep. It was a simple and helpful change.
I kept experimenting, adding this and that to their environment. I even put a radio in the coop and played some country music. I swear they started clucking along. Might be me just thinking that but I like that thought, haha.
Keeping chickens entertained is an ongoing thing. You gotta keep it fresh, you know? But it’s worth it. Happy chickens lay more eggs, they’re less stressed, and they’re way more fun to watch when they’re not just standing around looking miserable. A happy chicken is a good chicken.
So yeah, that’s my story about keeping my flock entertained. It’s been a lot of trial and error, but I think I’ve finally cracked the code. At least for now. Who knows what they’ll get bored of next week. A chicken farmer’s work is never done, I guess. That’s how it is. What can you say?
